July 30, 2012

Angels 15, Rangers 8 (F)

ARLINGTON – Roy Oswalt hasn’t shown any signs of being the All-Star pitcher he once was.

Oswalt struggled again, giving up eight runs on 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings, as the Los Angeles Angels rolled to a 15-8 victory over the Texas Rangers to open a four-game series at Rangers Ballpark.

The Angels pulled to within four games of the Rangers in the American League West.

Oswalt has given up at least five runs in three of his six starts, as well as double-digit hits in three of them. Opponents are batting .358 against him this season.

The long ball hurt Oswalt on Monday night. He gave up three of them, including a two-run blast to Kendrys Morales in the sixth. He was pulled four batters later after giving up three consecutive singles.

Robbie Ross didn’t fare much better than Oswalt, though. Morales came through with a grand slam off Ross later in the sixth, completing a nine-run inning for the Angels.

Oswalt fell to 3-2 and has a 6.49 ERA.

Until the sixth, it was anybody’s game. It was 3-3 as the Rangers tied it in the fourth on a solo home run by Josh Hamilton.

Hamilton proved to be the silver lining on the night, going 3 for 4, his first three-hit game since May 11.

Nelson Cruz also had a memorable night, belting a two-run, 453-foot homer over Greene’s Hill in center field in the seventh. Mike Napoli had a solo shot in the eighth.